Dili, September 18, 2019– Rehabilitation work began today on the 22.6km Laulara to Solerema section of the 110km Dili to Ainaro road corridor, which has been under rehabilitation with support from the International Development Association (IDA)-funded Timor-Leste Road Climate Resilience Project. The total cost of the project is $140.85 million.
Once completed, this section will join the already rehabilitated road from Dili to Ainaro. The upgraded roadworks will have improved drainage, stabilized and reinforced slopes, and new pavement to make the road safer and resilient to the effects of weather and natural hazards.
“This is a very important project in our partnership with Timor-Leste. The Dili-Ainaro road corridor is a major link between the Northern and Southern parts of the country, and one of the most frequently travelled routes in the country. The rehabilitation of this road would significantly improve communities’ access to social services, connect farmers to markets, and reduce passengers’ travel time and costs,” said Macmillan Anyanwu, World Bank Country Representative.
The International Development Association (IDA) is the arm of the World Bank Group that provides concessional finance to help low income countries. These roadworks are expected to be completed by August 2021. Regular maintenance and rectification of rain-damaged sections along the entire 110km corridor are ongoing.
Contacts:
In Dili: Matt Wilkinson, +67 78440429, mwilkinson@worldbank.org
